You have probably had your skincare routine nailed down since you got your first pimple in jr. high, but could you be making some major skincare mistakes without even knowing it?

Below are 15 of the most common skincare mistakes we have come across, some of which we have done ourselves!

15 skincare mistakes you didn’t know you were making

15. Washing your face at the wrong time

– It is likely that you have a shower routine, but is it in the right order? Make sure you are always washing your face after you shampoo and condition your hair. Many hair products contain pore-clogging Isopropyl Myristate that you do not want to leave on your skin.

14. Getting facials

– You might think that a facial is good for your skin but in reality it could actually be harming it. If the aesthetician does not know which products are right for your face you could end up breaking out even more after your session. Extractions in particular can lead to scarring and breakouts expanding all over your face. There is no long term benefit of a facial, period.

Want the effects of an acne facial without the price tag? Try a gentle exfoliator like ZENMED’s Refining Scrub and finish off with our Oil-Free Day Lotion.

13. Not giving products a chance to work

– There is no such thing as a miracle in a jar so switching up your skin care routine every week is doing more harm than good. Skin has a life cycle of 28 days and the collagen cycle is even longer. This means that it will take time for your skin to produce the desired results. Acne treatments in particular need at least 4 weeks for actives to penetrate.

12. Not getting your beauty sleep

– Just as it says… Beauty sleep. When we are sleeping our bodies go into a parasympathetic state, where energy is shifted from the core to the rest of the body to repair and rejuvenate. Without this… well… we have all experienced the ragged effects come morning. Using products at night also penetrate deeper since body temperature increases and thus pores expand and breathe.

11. Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle

– Did you know that being a couch potato not only affects your health, but also the look of your skin? Being sedentary can add years and signs of premature aging to your skin. On the flip side, being active improves circulation, giving skin a healthy youthful glow. The pink hue present on your body after a workout is actually the dilation of blood vessels, allowing the area to be washed with nutrients and oxygen rich blood.

10. Over/under moisturizing

– Over Moisturizing: Mom always said if we don’t moisturize we would get wrinkles early. So, if we put lots on will that push the date back further? No. Over-moisturizing is only a temporary fix that plumps up skin to store water in your cells. If you already have acne or oily skin your skin isn’t craving moisture. Dry skin can also be over-moisturized, which results in a build up of dead skin cells that make the surface of your skin rough and patchy.

– Under Moisturizing: Your skin is your largest organ and needs water to survive. Without moisturizer it will be come dry and flaky and rough patches will begin to appear (as people so often get on their knuckles). Dry skin can make acne look worse and even makes it harder to cover up for a night on the town since your skin will begin to absorb any foundation applied.

9. Assuming you have sensitive skin

– Few of us are born with sensitive skin, meaning that it develops in our later years. But what causes it? Would you believe over-moisturizing and mass-produced drugstore moisturizers? Using too many of these products makes our skin lazy and will gradually weaken it. Using products containing Vitamin C and Retinol will help to strengthen your skin and enable its regrowth and renewal.

8. Using too many different products

– Prevent cross-brand interactions. A simple skin routine with products from the same line that complement each other (like one of ZENMED’s packages for oily or dry skin) will give you the best results, faster. Using too many products may result in a routine with too much of one ingredient and not enough of another. Often skincare lines balance pH levels across their line as to not shock the skin.

– Products containing Vitamin C, Retinol, Glycolic acid and hydroquinone are some of the most effective ingredients out there. However, if you use expired products containing these ingredients, and many others, you are more likely to make the condition of your skin worse.

– Did you know that if you have not used an open foundation for 6 months you should toss it, even if it’s not expired? Our fingers, as applicators, leave behind oil and bacteria that build up over time and should not be reapplied to the skin.

6. Not washing your face before bed / in the morning

– We’ve all done it. You come home exhausted and don’t feel like washing the day’s make-up off your face. However, what people don’t know is that your skin goes through a renewal process in the night so, at minimum, you should reach your sleepy hand over and grab the make-up removal wipes. Some make-up contains ingredients that irritate the skin and can prevent it from proper regeneration at night.
– That being said, as your skin heals itself overnight it secretes toxins from your pores that need to be rinsed off as soon as possible before more damage is caused.

5. Not removing make-up before a work-out

– Make-up acts as a barrier and sweating under it can lead to breakouts. Also, make sure to change any tight clothes, such as yoga pants, immediately after exercising to prevent bacteria from multiplying.

4. Using harsh chemicals to clean your skin

– Our obsession with hygiene may be harming our skin. Soaps work by stripping the body of oil and dirt but some leave your skin dry and itchy. And it goes without saying that parabens and other dangerous chemicals often found in big name brand chemicals are a recipe for disaster, both on our face and for our health.

3. Liking it too hot

– We spend most of our winter trying to get warm, and a hot shower seems to be the perfect solution. But is it? Putting our skin through such a dramatic temperature changes can be detrimental to your skincare efforts and lead to dryness and dehydration. Choose lukewarm showers followed by a thorough pat down.

2. Ignoring the skin around your eyes

– Large sunglasses aren’t just for the rich and famous trying to hide out from adoring fans. Eyelids are the most common place to find skin cancer. Shading your eyes from the suns rays (both in the summer and the winter) will help ensure you stay on the right track for health and wellbeing.
– Also, do not forget to moisturize your eyelids! They are very susceptible to dryness and flaking. Yuck.

1. Forgetting about your neck and hands

– And lastly, but certainly not least, don’t forget about your neck and hands! When you are applying your daily moisturizer, but not too much or too little of it, make sure to do a few passes over your entire neck, front and back, and over the back of your hands. Always use sunscreen on your hands and neck too, in the summer.